Wire fencing.



B. F. SHELLABERGER. WIRE FENCING. APPLICATION rmm 1107.11, 1907.

904,496. Patented Nov. 17. 1908.

EDWARD F. SHELLABERGER, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

WIRE FENCING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed November 11, 1907. Serial No. 401,664.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. SHELLA- BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at De Kalb, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVire Fencing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wire fencing, and more particularly to the provision of a barbed wire fencing of novel construction.

One of the objects of my invention is to attain economy of material, and this result I secure by rolling or otherwise treating round rod or wire so as to produce alternating cylindric and non-cylindric portions, the transverse element of the fencing, being applied to the cylinclric portions between the non-cylindric portions. The cylindric portions are preferably much shorter than the non-cylindric portions and for this reason the wire is considerably elongated in the rolling or other treatment which produces such non-cylindric portion, thus effecting an economy of material without impairing the strength, as the reducing action solidifies the metal and increases its tensile strength to approximately the same extent that the wire is weakened by its reduction in cross-section.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a barbed wire, in which application it has special advantages which will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a section of barbed wire, and Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sections on the lines 22 and 3-3 of Fig. 1, the views being taken in the directions indicated by the arrows.

In carrying out my invention, I roll or otherwise treat the wire so as to produce therein extended flattened portions a which, as shown in Fig. 3, are substantially oval in cross-section, and between such flattened portions are the non-reduced cylindric portions 5. The portions a as shown are very considerably longer than theportions b, and at the junctions of the cylindric and noncylindric portions are the shoulders 0. The barbs formed of wire and having one or more coils cl and the oppositely projecting ends 6, f, are so coiled about the cylindric portions of the strand wire as to be readily rotatable thereon, whereby to prevent injury to stock when coming in contact therewith. The shoulders 0 prevent undue longitudinal movement or bunching of the barbs on the strand wire.

In my invention there are various advantages.

First, I am enabled to make a single strand of barbed wire, using what is known as a base size, that is to say, a No.9 gage, which is equal in tensile strength to two No. 12 gage wires cabled together as in the ordinary construction of barbed wires. By using a base size, there is a saving for equal strength of several dollars per ton, which is due to the additional drawings in reducing the base size to a No. 12

Second, by providing flattened or noncylindric portions in the wire alternating with cylindric portions, the length of the wire is increased about 7 per cent, without any material reduction in tensile strength.

Third, by providing the alternating cylindric and non-cylindric portions, and coiling the barbs upon said cylindric portions, the barbs may be left free to rotate axially, but are prevented by the shoulders from longi tudinal movement, with the resulting advantages above indicated.

Fourth, the flattened portions make the wire more readily visible than one which is cylindric throughout.

While I prefer to make the portions a of the wire oval in cross-section, it will be understood that any other non-cylindric section which will provide shoulders at the junction with the cylindric portions would be within the scope of my invention, and is intended to be covered by the claims.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the internal diameter of the coils of the bar-b is less than that of the greatest diameter of the flattened portion of the wire, and this prevents the longitudinal movement. I have designated the projecting edges of the flattened portions at their junction with the cylindric portions as shoulders, and it is in this sense that these shoulders serve to prevent the longitudinal movement.

I have referred to the strand'wire as com- .posed of cylindric and non-cylindric portions. It is obvious that these terms are relative and are intended to define a variation of structure between the two portions of the wire but are not intended as a limitation to mathematical cylindric portions as, for example, the major portion of the wire may be substantially flattened to obtain the objects of the invention, while the intermediate portions or barb seats might be very slightly flattened or reduced so that they would not be truly cylindrical and yet afford seats around which the barbs may be loosely coiled. These barb seats, of course, must be of such length as to permit the rotation of the barb and hence the barb Will be permitted also a slight longitudinal movement, but this movement is limited by the shoulders formed at the junctions of the flattened portions with the barb seats.

I claim:

1. A barbed Wire for fencing consisting of a single strand of Wire having alternating flattened and cylindric portions and barbs loosely sleeved on the cylindric portions and limited as to longitudinal movement by the shoulders formed by the flattening of the intermediate portions.

2. A barbed wire for fencing composed of a single round rod or Wire, reduced or fiat tened throughout the major portion of its length, such flattened or reduced portions alternating With cylindric or unreduced portions, and Wire barbs loosely coiled around such cylindric portions whereby they may rotate freely thereon, the shoulders formed by the junction of the cylindric and noncylindric portions limiting the longitudinal movement of the barbs on the Wire.

EDWARD F. SHELLABERGER.

L. F. MGCREA. 

